My little nook on the internet

Ever since I was a little kid I dreamed of having my own space on the web. I always wanted my own website to put my music like some of my favorite singers have. The first time I remember this dream was when Hilary Duff came out with a new album around 2010ish. She was one of the first artists I remember of having her very own website where you could listen to her music and see pictures of the photoshoot from her album’s cover photo. This might sound silly, but this little moment was what inspired me to become an artist and create a website where the whole world could listen and find my music.

Flash forward a couple years- that dream came true. It took long nights spent searching for the perfect theme, but I left my first year of college having a place of my own to showcase my music. Now I’m a senior in college, and looking back at all the work I did to show my songs online makes me feel like that is how I found and basically created my digital portfolio online. My music means so much to me, and I wanted my own space to show my talent and my love for singing and songwriting.

Last week I was sitting in my four-hundred level music senior seminar class where we were discussing if it was important to create a website if you are an orchestra player. Everyone in the 10 person class knew about my music website and how long i’ve spent making it perfect. The class (including the professor) know I am so passionate about website design and creation, but the conversation took a turn when my professor said it might not be necessary to create a website full of music if you wanted to just play in an orchestra when you graduate. The girl asking the question didn’t know why she had to create a site and thought it was unimportant and extra busy work.

I was SHOOK…to say the least. Classmates were looking to see the shock on my face, but I quickly tried to cover how badly I wanted to scream “Why wouldn’t you want to make a website?!”

After more debating and questions about why a website is necessary in class, my professor turned to me and asked me to speak up since I was truly holding my tongue this entire conversation.

I told the class how important it is for me to have my own website because showing my songs to producers, a future boss, or friends and family who live across the world is my end goal with my site. My music site is my own little nook in the big world that is the internet- it’s my small piece of me that I contribute with my songs and music…and I just think that’s so cool.

30 minutes pass by, and the conversation took a turn, but overall I learned that not everybody has their nook in the internet- and that’s okay.

My website is my everything, and it makes it ten times more special that I wanted it so bad compared to someone who just makes a website just because they have to for an assignment. The love and care I put into the site shows through the design and overall content, and I think that’s what makes Domain of One’s Own such a special program. My childhood dream came true in ways I could have never imagined.